Mediasmart

As the Chipotle restaurant chain attempts to get a handle on a rash of food-borne illnesses at its restaurants, the situation can teach us three important lessons about working with the media, including: The perils of playing the blame game — What happened when the CFO’s words went public How journalists love trend stories — […]

Are you getting way too much media attention and looking for tried and true methods of scaring journalists away? This week, we focus on some actions that tell the reporter loud and clear: “I don’t get it.” These include failing to call back – or calling back late, assuming the reporter can stretch the deadline […]

In this week’s episode, we continue a discussion that started in Episode 24: How should you handle a journalist who comes charging at you with tape rolling and wants some answers? Fueled by listener feedback, we explore several ways to defuse the tension created by an ambush interview, including: Answering a reporter’s question, then pivoting […]

As you pop out of your car, a reporter pops out of the bushes and demands answers to some questions! Okay, so it may not be quite that abrupt – but you could someday find yourself face-to-face with a reporter when you least expect it to happen, when you least want it to happen or […]

Media interviews are like sports, playing a musical instrument or any other skill: they become easier with practice. The good news is that practicing for an interview is painless and relatively simple. All you need is a cell phone with a camera, decent lighting and a colleague or friend to ask the questions. In this […]

There are a lot of voice coaches out there who will eagerly take your money to give you hours of training on how to speak and use your voice. The good news is that’s not necessary for most people – and in fact, learning how to use your voice effectively is much easier than you […]

Often, crisis communications can mean an organization is called upon to respond quickly to a situation that threatens its reputation – and perhaps its bottom line – and most likely for the long-term. Think: A high-profile company official arrested or a product recall. On August 26, a nightmare situation forced a Roanoke, Virginia TV station […]

“We need to do some PR around that.” It’s a phrase uttered by many people, and it can often mean many different things. If you shape your expectations of an interview around a flawed understanding of PR, you could alienate the reporter instead of building a relationship that could lead to more interviews in the […]

It seems like pretty much everyone who’s out there trying to get media attention covets the national spotlight, so much so that many people would drop everything and do whatever a TV network or national newspaper asks. This episode addresses the potential harm in taking this approach, especially with every story, every time. One key […]

Among the inherently flawed questions you could be asked during an interview is one with a faulty premise – a “no win” question such as the popular (albeit crude) example: “Senator, when did you stop beating your wife?” Rarely is such a question asked innocently by the reporter. As we discussed back in Episode 12, […]

Some recent happenings on the Republican campaign trail teach us important lessons about relating to the media. Actions and statements by Jeb Bush, Ted Cruz and Donald Trump serve as great examples as to how: Releasing potentially sensitive information allows you to control the message – when done carefully and deliberately. Bad timing can turn […]

We’ve all seen television interviews with someone whose clothing or jewelry is so gawdy that you don’t even hear what they’re saying. Instead, you’re busy staring at that super-busy paisley tie or that floral blouse from hell. Dressing appropriately for a TV interview is all about picking an outfit that will help you come across […]

Life can’t be fun in FIFA’s PR office these days. The world governing body behind soccer – or as most of the world calls it, football – is the subject of two separate, serious investigations into potential criminal wrongdoing. Amid the allegations came a series of public gaffes by former senior FIFA official Jack Warner […]

Off the record. On background. Anonymous source. Under embargo. Often, these terms mean different things to different people – which is why it’s so easy to get burned when you think you’re telling a reporter something “off the record.” You also have to be prepared for the journalist to use such information accidentally – or […]

Most people know to avoid the phrase “no comment” during a media interview. Doing so usually amounts to an overly curt or abrupt response that suggests the interviewee is hiding something. However, there are other effective ways to say the same thing – without having those two words attributed to you in print. At an […]

In an interview, a journalist’s chief goal is to obtain information – and some reporters are willing to employ some slick tactics to get what they want. They include: Pretending to take your side on an especially divisive issue to entice you into doing the interview – and possibly let your guard down. Starting with […]

As reporters are human – as are most editors – they’re bound to make mistakes. These could range from the relatively minor glitch to a royal screw-up that amounts to the journalistic equivalent of the Titanic. They might include: Messing up your name, title or institution Fuzzy math Facts presented out of context “Facts” that […]

We talked in earlier episodes about earning a journalist’s trust by being a dependable, ethical source of information. But you want to work with reporters whom you can trust, right? After all, trust is a two-way street in the reporter-source relationship. There have been some glaring examples recently of media behaving badly, and I bet […]

Some public relations professionals spend most or all of their time pitching stories to the media – that is, trying to convince reporters to cover their organizations. As a result, some PR people make it seem as though pitching a journalist is like playing with gasoline near a fire, or something that should only be […]

Though it took place well over two decades ago, I’ll never forget the high school musical rehearsal when my friend Tom – the lead – walked into an off-stage bathroom while wearing his wireless microphone. The audio engineer was apparently asleep at the switch, as we all then heard Tom “do his business” loud and […]